Other wines sold off were 12 bottles each of Ausone 1978, Margaux 1983, Mouton-Rothschild 1986 and Lafite-Rothschild 1988, as well as six bottles of Petrus 1978. Other government departments were also collectively charged £16,762 for using cellar wines at receptions.

The cellar’s hospitality team bought 3,810 bottles of wine for £50,054 in the last financial year. Its shopping list included 540 bottles of Bordeaux, as well as 180 bottles of non-vintage Champagne.

English wines constituted almost of half of all wine drunk at government functions during the 12 months. Chapel Down’s Bacchus 2012 is the pouring wine for general functions and the hospitality team bought a further 960 bottles during the year.